


we're in the night that i won't recall

by i_was_human



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Assassins & Hitmen, Clubbing, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, M/M, Memory Loss, Minsoo Has Exactly Two [2] Braincells, No beta we die like mne, Spies & Secret Agents, minsoo's probably a masochist idk man, vaguely unhealthy relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26362339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: the mind may forget, but the heart will remember.or: dongho makes minsoo forget, but some things can never be truly forgotten.
Relationships: Kang Dongho | D.Min/Lee Minsoo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	we're in the night that i won't recall

"His name is Kang Dongho."

Kyunghun slides a folder across the table, and Minsoo stares at it, taking in the image of a dark-haired man pinned to the cover.

"Retrieval?"

"Elimination," Kyunghun clarifies, and Minsoo nods, opening the folder and flipping through its contents. 

_Kang Dongho. Born 1992. The son of conglomerate owner Kang Dongsuk and actress Kim Hyoyoung. Oldest brother and heir to his father's company._

Minsoo doesn't see it.

"What did he do?"

Kyunghun stares at him with his patented "please-point-out-where-I-give-an-iota-of-a-shit" look, and Minsoo nods, scooping up the papers and standing. 

"You'll be flying out tomorrow," Kyunghun states, and Minsoo nods once more.

Kang Dongho, huh?

* * *

The first time Minsoo meets Kang Dongho, he disarms both of the man's guards in instants.

Dongho's head whips around as the second guard drops to the ground, and Minsoo blinks as the man withdraws a gun from his pocket, aiming for Minsoo's thigh and pulling the trigger.

Minsoo jumps out of the way, and Dongho aims the gun at his forehead with a sort of casual ease.

Who is this man?

"You're going to have to do better than that," Dongho states, and Minsoo grins, withdrawing his own weapon.

"I can."

"So you choose not to?"

He's strong, Minsoo realizes, strong and undeniably attractive.

He may or may not have feelings about this.

"I don't want to waste energy on a chaebol's son."

Dongho hums, moving to lean against the car. "Cocky, aren't you?"

"I could say the same to you."

"Ah, but you don't even know who I am."

"I know enough."

"Do you?"

Dongho sounds... oddly amused.

"I guess you're going to shoot me, then."

"Yeah," Minsoo hums, and Dongho folds his arms over his chest. 

"Alright."

Something pricks Minsoo's ankle, and he curses, gaze dropping to the needle sticking from his leg.

"Have fun with that," Dongho hums, and Minsoo curses as he drops to the ground.

* * *

The first time Minsoo meets Kang Dongho, it's a dark night.

It's the kind of darkness that comforts, rather than hides, and Minsoo's not even actively searching for his target - though he _should_ , should try and scope him out - but he just.

Doesn't want to.

So he's walking through the city after dark, the cold wind blowing and lights beating down, and his gaze lands on Kang Dongho, buying a jug of milk from the corner store.

He's less put-together than Minsoo expected, a loose jacket thrown over a t-shirt and sweats, and as he heads out of the store, Minsoo watches him, frozen.

Dongho raises his head, surprise flashing in his eyes at the sight of him, and before Minsoo can stop him, he crosses the street, feet hitting the asphalt with purpose.

Dongho stares at him, then, bag dangling from his arm, and Minsoo grins, leaning against the wall. "Kang Dongho."

"Lee Minsoo," Dongho simply replies, and Minsoo's grin widens with a confidence he doesn't feel.

"So you know who I am."

"I do."

"Then you know why I'm here."

Dongho tilts his head, the moon casting his features in an almost unearthly glow, and his lips quirk into a half-grin. "I'd prefer not to get attacked while heading to the store for nail polish."

"Nail polish?"

"My brother's boyfriend needed some."

"So you went."

"Stable relationships with family are effort on both sides, y'know."

Minsoo nods, exhaling and watching as a cloud forms in front of him. "My brother hates my guts."

"Mm."

He's not sure why he's talking to his mark, but he doesn't particularly care.

"So I get you."

"Yeah."

"I still have to kill you, you know."

Dongho grins, sharp and challenging. "You really want to?"

"Can you stop me?"

Before Minsoo can blink, he's being yanked forwards into a kiss. 

It's searing, hot, desperate, and Dongho's hands thread through his hair, the bag dropping, forgotten to the ground. Minsoo melts into his touch, the taller man's grip like fire wherever it touches, and Dongho slams him against a wall, spit-slick lips glowing in the faint light.

"You-"

"You'll never remember," Dongho tells him, and Minsoo feels the prick of a needle on his neck. "You never do."

Minsoo blinks, lethargy dragging his eyelids down, and he only has time to mumble a pathetic "what?" before consciousness eludes him.

* * *

The first time Minsoo meets Kang Dongho, it's at a masquerade.

The mask is hot and heavy, his feet aching from the non-stop dancing, but it's all worth it for this one moment.

Kang Dongho stands in front of him, fox mask concealing the upper half of his face, and Minsoo scowls as the taller man pulls him into a dance, large hands fitting easily in Minsoo's own.

It feels familiar, almost.

"Kang Dongho," Minsoo grins, trying to sound sultry, and Dongho grins himself, though it's much easier.

"Lee Minsoo."

"How do you know my name?"

Dongho's grin turns a bit wistful, and his gaze flits to the cameras in the corners of the room, hand coming up to thread through Minsoo's hair.

It feels familiar, almost.

"Can I tell you somewhere else?"

"If you're going to tell me," Minsoo banters, and Dongho grins, sharp but impossibly easy.

"Sure."

Dongho leads Minsoo out of the room as soon as the song ends, one gloved hand clutching Minsoo's bare one, and before Minsoo can blink, Dongho's slamming him into the wall, hand planted next to his head.

"Does this feel familiar?"

"Yeah," Minsoo replies, staring up at Dongho with a challenge in his eyes. "What're you gonna do? Kill me?"

He knows Dongho won't.

Somehow, he knows he won't.

Dongho captures his lips in a searing kiss instead.

Hours later, when they're lying in bed, Dongho slides a needle into Minsoo's neck, and he doesn't have the presence of mind to fight it.

* * *

The first time Minsoo can remember meeting Dongho, it's at a club.

Dreams haunt his waking moments, and he drifts through the door like a ghost, the thudding bass helping to tether him to reality. His gaze flickers around the space, taking in the multi-colored lights and sweaty bodies, feet pounding on the dance floor to the beat of the music.

"Imagine seeing you here."

Minsoo blinks, gaze flitting to the side, and he folds his arms over his chest, staring at the face of his mark. "Kang Dongho."

Dongho grins, soft and easy, and it occurs to Minsoo that he may be a little drunk. "Hey, 'Soo. What're you doing here?"

"I don't know," Minsoo honestly replies, and Dongho presses a drink into his hand, grin widening as the music changes to a more upbeat song.

"You dance?"

"I-"

_Dongho's hands in his, feet sliding over the dance floor, a masquerade-_

"You know I do."

It's not a question.

Dongho takes another swig from his bottle and drags Minsoo forwards, a lock of sweaty hair escaping its gel and tickling his nose. "I know a lot about you."

"How?"

"I have my ways."

"You're suave, aren't you?"

"I prefer the term 'experienced'."

Dongho's gaze sharpens, and it occurs to Minsoo that maybe he's not so drunk, after all. "You know what I mean."

"I wouldn't expect to see you at a club," Minsoo remarks, and Dongho shrugs.

"Came to find you."

"I came to find _you_."

"Funny how that works."

Dongho pushes open the door and drags Minsoo outside, the crisp fall air cutting through the latter's t-shirt and blowing his hair to the side.

Dongho, of course, looks as put-together as ever.

"I've never seen you like this," Minsoo remarks, staring at the tank-top and jeans. "Why're you dressed like that?"

"I'm not going to wear nice clothes to a shitty bar," Dongho states, and Minsoo's gaze falls to the taller man's beaten-up sneakers, smeared with paint and mud.

"I didn't know you owned sneakers."

"They're old."

Minsoo hops up on the guardrail, sticking out his arms as the breeze pushes his hair back from his face. "I don't know why I'm not killing you."

"I think you do."

"What if I don't?"

"You do."

Minsoo hops off the guardrail, feet sinking into the sand, and Dongho vaults it with ease, face scrunching up as he lands.

"Don't like sand?" Minsoo teases, and Dongho shakes his head.

"It gets everywhere."

"Did you quote _Star Wars_ at me?"

"Maybe."

Minsoo laughs, high and a bit hysterical, and Dongho's lips quirk into a small grin. "What even _are_ you?"

"Your enemy," Dongho quips, and Minsoo shakes his head.

"Now who's lying?"

* * *

When Minsoo wakes up the next morning, his face is buried in someone's chest.

Dongho.

He has one hand in Minsoo's hair and the other resting against the small of his back, lips slightly parted and lashes brushing his cheeks. Like this, Minsoo thinks, he looks almost harmless - nothing like the heir-turned-assassin he must be.

(minsoo's not naive enough to assume dongho's just incredibly well-trained in self-defense. he knows enough about the rest of the world to know there's far more out there than just his company.)

"Morning," he whispers, low and soft, and Dongho blinks, propping himself up on one shoulder as he rakes a hand through his hair. 

"...there's sand in my hair."

He ruffles his hair as if to make a point, and hundreds of grains of sand fall out, landing on the pure-white sheets and rolling towards Minsoo. The smaller man hops out of bed, reaching over to brush the sand away, and Dongho scowls, ruffling his hair once more.

"I hate sand."

"...because it's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and _no Dongho stop I said I was sorry-_ "

* * *

"Have you ever wanted to run away from all of this?"

Minsoo's gaze flits to the window, landing on the endless expanse of stars. "Jobs, home... just drive, and never stop driving?"

"Yes," Dongho immediately replies, and Minsoo tilts his head.

"Then why haven't you?"

"Running away is lonely."

He says that so _simply_ , Minsoo thinks - as if suffering is better than being alone.

In some ways, it is.

"Well, what if we left together?"

"Why?"

"You make me feel alive," Minsoo simply replies, and Dongho quirks a brow.

"I've drugged you. At least fifty times."

"Not the most romantic of starts, but I'll deal."

"You're fucking insane."

"Aren't we all?"

Minsoo grins - wild, reckless, daring - and he leans back on his hands. "The way I look at it, we're all a little crazy."

"You could say that about anything," Dongho points out, and Minsoo rolls his eyes. "The way I look at it, we're all a little homicidal-"

" _No_."

* * *

_"What do you mean, you're not completing the assignment?"_

"I'm not doing it."

_"Are you out of your fucking mind? This is your job, Minsoo. Your job. You've taken too long already."_

"I'm not doing it."

_"Then we'll send somebody else."_

"Good luck finding us."

_"You're fucking kidding me, Minsoo. What the hell is this?"_

"Love, Kyunghunnie. You should try it sometime."

_"Is it pot? Is pot what you're smoking?"_

"No."

_"...Jesus Christ, Soo."_

"It was great to know you, Kyunghun-ah."

_"Wait, Minsoo-"_

Minsoo hangs up the call and tosses the phone to Dongho, who promptly chucks it out the window. It soars through the air, and Minsoo winces as it cracks on the concrete, glass spraying across the pavement.

"What if they get it?"

"They can try," Dongho hums, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Don't you like the fun of the chase?"

"I do, in fact, like the fun of the chase," Minsoo grins, and Dongho nods.

"Alright. Let's go."

* * *

Somewhere along the line, they wind up in a sleepy town.

It has rustic _charm_ , Minsoo insists, and Dongho laughs, staring around at the old buildings.

"Does rustic mean less than one hundred people?"

"Shut up."

It's strange, Dongho thinks - being able to be anybody in a town like this. Putting _Dongho_ before _Kang_ , wearing beaten-up sneakers and tank tops instead of boots and suits.

It's surreal, almost.

But Minsoo's right there - Minsoo in his oversized t-shirts and short shorts, Minsoo with his crappy bleach job and bright smile, Minsoo as _himself_ \- and when Dongho dwells on that, dwells on the boy he's known for the past one hundred and fifty seven days, everything feels much more real.

It's a nice feeling.

**Author's Note:**

> there's a lot of missing time here btw
> 
> fic title from demian's yes, fic written for a weekly prompt challenge
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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